One of the dishes on the menu for the first meal is a clear soup. Like the other dishes, a wish is put into the clear soup as well. That wish is for the baby's sucking power to be strong. This makes sense, as sucking is very important for babies. The ingredients also have important meanings. In this article, we will introduce the meanings of the clear soup ingredients as well as a recipe for clear soup.

■What is the meaning behind the soup for the first meal? The meaning behind each ingredient

Clam soup is often served at this ceremony. It is said that the clam's two shells fit together perfectly, and this symbolizes the wish that the child will be blessed with a good partner in the future.

Other ingredients used in soup have the following meanings:

Shrimp...It is said that shrimp live long enough to bend their backs, so it is used to pray for longevity.
Tai...the "tai" in "medetai" (celebratory) means that the red skin and white flesh of the fish are considered auspicious.

However, it is not necessary to add this ingredient. The soup itself is a celebratory dish, so you can arrange it however you like.

■ Menu for the first meal of a baby: Clam soup

Here is a simple recipe for clam soup for the first meal of the year. The clams are cooked separately and then added to the soup.

Ingredients (serves about 4)
8 to 12 clams with shells
Kelp stock 700ml
2 tablespoons cooking sake
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Mitsuba (Japanese parsley)
It is also recommended to add tofu or wheat gluten.

1. Remove the sand from the clams (dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in 500ml of water, add the clams and leave in a dark place for 2-3 hours. Adjust the amount of water so that the clams can just peek out).
② Rinse the clams thoroughly after removing the sand under running water and boil them with an appropriate amount of water. When the clams open, remove them from the pot and place them in a colander.
③ Bring the dashi stock, cooking sake, and soy sauce to a boil to make the clear soup. The clams may release a small amount of salt, so be careful to adjust the taste accordingly.
4. Once boiling, add the clams and top with chopped or tied mitsuba leaves in any shape you like.

■ Menu for the first meal ② Sea bream soup

We will introduce a simple recipe for a soup for the first meal of a new baby, sea bream soup. This soup allows you to fully enjoy the broth that comes from the sea bream.

Ingredients (serves about 4)
2 pieces of sea bream
40g wakame seaweed
A little spring onion
Kelp stock 1000ml
2 teaspoons sake
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
We also recommend garnishing with yuzu peel and leaf buds, if you like.

・To prepare the fish, sprinkle a little salt (not included in the ingredients) on the sea bream and leave it for about 30 minutes. After that, pour boiling water over it (or pass it through boiling water) and wipe off the moisture with paper towels.
1. Add sake and salt to the kelp stock and bring to a boil, then add the sea bream and simmer over low heat. Skim off the scum from time to time.
② Once the sea bream is cooked through, add soy sauce and wakame seaweed to taste.
③ Serve in bowls and top with green onions.

You can remove the fishy smell from sea bream by preparing it in advance. It takes a little time and effort, but if you do the preparation, you can use sea bream bones and other parts of the fish, and you will be able to make a stronger stock.

Above, we have introduced a recipe for a clear soup that allows you to simply enjoy the flavor of the ingredients with dashi and salt. It may be a little difficult to get clams or sea bream, so check if there is a store near you that sells them. Horse mackerel, mackerel, flounder, etc. can also be used instead, although the flavor will be different.

The menu introduced here is just an example. Each family member has their own preferences when it comes to soup, so try to choose ingredients and toppings that are easy to eat. Adjust the amount of dashi stock, salt, soy sauce, etc. while tasting.

■ Recommended tableware for the first meal of a baby's life